Folding gate.



AXE-L FRITZ, ornvEn-nrr, MASSACHUSETTS.

FOLDING GATE. i

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Aug 24, 1915,

Application filed October 1, 1914, serial no'. 864,527.

To all whom it may, concern j Be it known that I, AX L FRITZ, a citizen of the United States, residing at'Everett, in the county of Middlesex and State of Masssachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Folding Gates, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvementsin folding gates of a type somewhat similar to the type illustrated in my priorapplicatiou for folding gatesf. Ser. No. 848,881, filed July 3,1914.

The object of this invention is to provide an improved type of guide bar over the form shown in said prior application and also an improved method of supporting the pales of the gate on said guide bar.

Another object of the invention is to provide means for alining and supporting the ends of the guide bars of the gate sections.

Still another object of the invention. is to provide improved means for interlocking one section of a gate with'another.

The invention consists in'the combination. and arrangement of parts whereby theabove objects and certain other objects hereinafter appearing may be attained, as set forth in the following specification and particularly pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the drawingsz'Figure 1 is an elevation of one section ofa double folding embodying my invention with the same shown eXtendedQ Fig. 2 is an elevation of the other section of the'gate with the same folded. Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a detail underneath plan view of the abut ting ends of the guide bars for the gate sections illustrating the means for interlocking the gates when they are in their extended positions. Fig. 5 is a section taken on the line 55 of Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is asection taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 1. Figs. 7 and 8 are detail views. of the means for locking the gate sections together. Figs. 9 and 10 are detail views of a section of gate embodyin g modified form of my invention.

Like numerals refer-to like parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

in the drawings, 12 and, 13 represent two coiiperating sections ofa folding gate each of which consists of a series or plurality of pales 14 arranged substantially parallel to each other and adapted to be moved laterally relatively to each other duringthe opening and folding of, said gate sections.

To guidetand support the pales :14 during 1311611 lateral movement bars- 15 and 16are provided adjacent their upper and lower ends respectively, said bars being'preferably channels and arranged transversely of said pales to slide preferably through U-shaped brackets '17 secured to each of said pales preferably by riveting the ends of said brackets. A roller 18 is journaled to rotate upon one of the arms of each of said U- shaped brackets preferably the upper arm 17 and engages the upper face of said channel'bar 15, permitting said pales to easily slide lengthwise of said guide bars. To limit the lateral movements of said pales and properly space the same relatively to each other, a pair of links 19 connect] the upper ends of each pair of adjacent pales together, while a second pair of links 20 connect thelower ends of each pair of adjacent pales together. The links constituting said pairs are pivoted together at2l, while the I opposite ends of the links constituting said pairs are pivotally connected at 22, 22 to their respective pales,, said pivots 22,22 preferably consistin'gof the lower arms of the U-shaped bracket 17 which are extended slightly, beyond the faces of the pales 14 to receive said links.

The links in the gate illustrated in Figs.

1 and 2 are adapted to swing upwardly to permit the folding of the gate and downwardly during the openingthereof and to prevent said links from moving too far one of the links of said pail-sis provided with a projection 23, which extends beyond the pivot 21 and engages the edge of the other link of, said pair, thus preventing the straightening of said links which if permitted would cause the pivot 21 to drop below the centers of the pivots 22 of said links and thus move downwardly rather .than upwardly when the gate is being folded.

The other link of each pair is alsoextended beyond the pivot 22 at 24 to form a stop which assists the projection 23, which also rorms a stop, in limiting the movements of said links. I

l/Vith the links arranged in the positions just describedthere will be little or no resistance aside from the friction due to the weight of the several pales, to the folding of said gate, permitting the pales 14 to be moved to contact with the adjacent pales of the series, as will be seen by referring to Fig. 2. To further add to the attractiveness of pales-25 have been provided, said pales being arranged upon the opposite face of the cupiedbysaid pales n folded condition. Inbo'thsections of 831d."

ends ofsaid pales 14, see Fig.1. Asthegate isfoldedL-the p I moved upwardly as the palesl14 to which they are secured are moved together, whlch said bolt withinits channel. When the cor series of links connecting the pales-14, and secured to said links by the studs constituting the pivots 21. The pales in said. second series are also slightly shorter than the pales 14 so that when the gate is open the lower ends of'the pales 25 willaline with the lower ends of, the pales 14, but the, upper, ends or said pales 25 will be slightly below the upper ivots 21 are upward movement I carries said pales 25 up-- wardly relatively to the pales 14 until'the upper ends of said pales aline with the upper ends of the'other oit said series of pales, as will be seen by referringto Fig. 2. By

this arrangement it-willbe seen that the least possible amount of space wlll be ocwhen thegate is in its ate one of the end pales, preferablythe pale 26 is pivotally secured support and inany desired manner, thus permittingthe whole section to sw ng about 3 the axis of said pale 26. In the present 1nstancelfihave shown the pale 26 pivotally mounted upon "a bracket 27 which is secured to the floor32 of the'door or entrance tobe closed by said gate, while the upper endof said pale 1s. ournaled at 28in a bracket 29 secured tothewall of the opening. The

a I pale 30 at the opposite endof the gate from the pale 26 is provided at its 'lower-endw'lth pales of ho a supporting roller of the bars15 and16 are secured to the piv oted pale 26' and in'this manner the extremities of said barswill be supported and provide suitable supports'for the intermediate 'th' series.

. In order that the sectionsfof the gate may takeup as little amount'of space aspossible when the gate is are jointed at one or more places according to the length ofthe' gate. gatehowever but one joint 33 is necessary, which joint isat such al'distance from the pivoted pale 26 that when the pales '14 are moved to their folded position, as shown in Fig. 2, the'outeror free end of the bar 15 may be turned downwardly about the axis of its joint 33 and the bar 16 turned upwardly about the axis of its joint 33. to lie along side'of'each. other, as indicated in Fig. Qandin these positions said bars, or at least, the outer held against the outermost pale 30 of the gate section either by it'riction, due to the tightness of the joints 33, or byv any other suitable means,'thus said gate'w'ill occupy to any suit-able I p or caster- 31 adapted'to roll upon the floor 32 and support the] outer folded, the bars'15 and 16 In the present 7 oints thereof may be secured or but slightly more space than the combined diameters of the pales 14. The outer ends of the guide bars 15 and 16 preferably terminate in alinement with the outer faces ."of the outermost pales 30, but when the two sections of the gate are brought together in alinement it is important that said bars be ermitting a limited sliding movement of responding guide bars of the two sections of ,the ate aremoved intoalinement with each :A; pin '36issecuredi11 said channels and eX- tends through a slot '37 formed in said bolt other the bolts 34 are adapted to be moved into the grooves of said,correspondingflbars and thus positively lock said bars in alinement. The groove 35 insaid-bars is preferably open vat the under side thereof and to support said bolt within said groove, plates 38, 38 are provided adjacent the ends o't' each of the sections of said bars and upon said plates said bolt is adapted to slide. When the bolt 34 is notjin use it is cssential that it be prevented from projecting or extending beyond the end of the guide bar within which it is-mounted and for this purpose a'plurality of teeth 39 are-formed j upon the underside thereof and adapted :to beengaged by a pawl 40 secured to the plate 38 upon the bar containing said bolt, said pawl having a weight 41 adapted to nor mally retain the same in'contact with said teeth. v

I To lockthe two sections of the gate togetherwhen the same are closed I have provided an ornamental plate42 which is secured to one of the pales 30,preferably;of the'gate 12, said plate. having an eye 43 fast thereon and projecting laterally from the i front face thereof. The pale 3050f the other section of gate is provided with a sliding plate 44, whichv is adapted to] beinoved through said pale 30'after thesame has been moved into contact with the ornamental plate 42, through a slot 45 formed in said ornamental plate parallel with th eye 43. A pin 46 is adapted to engage aslot 47 formed in said sliding plate to limit the sliding movement of said plate in said pale permitting said plate however to'be moved outwardly sufticiently to aline with the eye 43,

whereby the shackle 4801: a padlock-49 may be inserted through the end of the, slot 47 and the eye 43to secure said palestogether.

In Figs. 9 and 101 have shown asection of a modified form of gate, which form consists of a plurality of vertically disposed pales 50 having a guide bar 51 similarin form to those illustratedin Figs. 1 and 2,

that is tosay, said guide bars are of the channel construction,

roller 53 is journaled upon the upper arm,

of the U-shaped bracket 52 and rolls along the upper surface of the guide bar 5l,while to the lower arm of! each of said brackets directly beneath the guide bar 51 is secured links 54 and 55 which in turn are pivotally connected together intermediate said pales for the purpose of limiting the lateral movement of said pales relatively to each other, as shown in Fig. 9, while Fig. 10 illustrates the gate folded and the links dropped down;

While I have herein shown and described one specific embodiment of my invention for illustrative purposes, and have disclosed and discussed in detail the construction and arrangement incidental to one specific application thereof, it is to be understood that the invention is limited neither to the mere details or relative arrangement of parts, nor to its specific application herein shown, but that extensive deviations from the illustrated form or embodiment of the invention may be made without departing from the principles thereof.

Having thus described my invention what I claim and desire by Letters Patent to secure is: V

1. A folding gate having, in combination, a plurality of pales adapted to be moved I laterally relatively to each other during the opening and folding of said gate, a bar arranged transversely of said pales adapted to guide the same during their lateral relative movements, a U-shaped bracket secured to said pales adapted to receive said guidebaigand a roller journaled to rotate upon one of the arms of said brackets in contact with said bar.

2. A folding gate having, in combination, a plurality of pales adapted to be moved lat- 'erally relatively to each other during the opening and folding of said gate, a bar arranged transversely of said pales adapted to guide the same during their lateral relative movements, a U-shaped bracket secured to said pales adapted to receive said guide-bar, and a roller journaledto rotate on the upper arms of said brackets adapted to roll upon the upper surface of said bar.

3. A gate comprising a pair of cooperating folding sections, a series of pales in each of said sections adapted to be moved laterally relatively to each other during the opening and folding of said sections, guide bars arranged transversely of said pales adapted to support and guide the same during said lateral movements, the bar of one of said sections adapted to aline with the bar ofthe other of said sections, and a bolt slidably arranged adjacent the end of one of said bars adapted to slide into the end of the other of said bars to lock said bars in alinement with each other. I

4. A gatetcomprlsing a pair of cooperating folding sections, a series of pales in eachof said sections adapted to be moved laterally relatively to each other during the opening and folding of said sections, guide] bars arranged transversely of said pales adapted to support and guide the same during said lateral movements, the bar of one of said sections adapted to aline withthe bar of the other of said sections, a bolt slidably arranged adjacent the end of one of said bars adapted to slide into the end of the other of said bars to lock said bars in alinement with each other, and means to normally retain said bolt within its supporting bar.

5. A gate comprising a pair of cooperating folding sections, a series of pales in each of said sections adapted to be moved laterally relatively to each other during the opening and folding of said sections, guide bars arranged transversely of said pales adapted to support and guide the same during said lateral movements, the bar of one of said sections adapted to aline with the bar of the other of said sections, a bolt slidably arranged adjacent the end of one of said bars adapted to slide into the end of the other of said bars to lock said bars in alinement with each other, teeth formed upon one face of said bolt, and a pawl on said bar adapted to engage said teeth and normally retain said bolt within'its respective bar.

6. A gate comprising a pair of cooperating folding sections, a series of pales in each of said sections adapted to be moved laterally relatively to each other during the opening and folding of said sections, a channel bar arranged transversely of the pales in each of said sections, the bar of one of said sections adapted to aline with the bar of the,

other of said sections when saidgates are closed, a bolt slidably arranged within the groove of one of said channel bars adapted to be moved into the groove of the other of said bars when said bars are in'alinement with each other to lock said bars in alinement, teeth formed upon one face of said bolt, and. a pawl adapted to engage said teethand normally retain said bolt within its respective channel bar.

7. A folding gatehavmg, in combination,

7 a seriesof vertically disposed pales adapted to be moved laterally relatively to each other during the opening and folding of said. gate, I

a guide bar arranged transversely of said pales adapted to support and guide said pales during their lateral movements, a U-shaped member secured to each of said pales adapted to receive said guide bar, a roller journaled to rotate upon the upper arm of said Ushaped member adapted to rolluponthe upper face of said guide bar, 7

1 and 'a series'olflinks pivotally connected to the lower armsoi' said members adapted to limit the lateral movements of said pales ,relatively to each other.

'ofsaid sections adapted to be moved laterally relatively to each other during the opensections adapted to 'aline With the bar of the v fother'of said sections when said gates are closed, aibolt slidably arranged ithin the groovejof one of said channel bars adapted ing and folding of said sections, a channel 7 bar arranged transversely of the. pales in eachot said sections, the bar of one of said to be moved into the groove of the other of said bars When said bars are in alineme'nt Witheach other to lock said bars insaid alinement, said bolt having a slot extendinglongitudinally thereof, and a pin arranged 2o transversely of the channel containing said bolt and adapted to engage the slot in said bolt to limit the sliding movement thereof.- In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing Wit-j 25 nessesr i r v AXEL FRITZ.

Witnesses: g V

, SYDNEY E. TAFT,

FRANKLIN E. Low.

{lopies ofthislp atent may be olwta i nevrl for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. 

